UK girl's name
Shayla
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "small and delicate".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Shayla is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Shayla popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3318, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 66 births.
This profile covers 963 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 11% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 961 living people in the UK are called Shayla. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Shayla ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 66 girls were registered as Shayla.
- • Shayla ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #653 in 1997.
- • About 961 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shayla as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3318
2024
Births in 2024
7
Latest year
Peak year
2010
66 births
Estimated living
961
2026
Meaning
What does Shayla mean?
The name Shayla is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots traced back to the Middle Eastern region. The earliest known spelling of the name was "Shayala," which translates to "beautiful" or "lovely" in Arabic.
In the ancient Arabic tradition, names were often chosen for their symbolic meaning and significance. The name Shayla was likely bestowed upon newborn girls as a wish for them to grow up to embody beauty, grace, and charm.
While the name's origins can be traced back to the Arab world, it has gained popularity in various cultures and regions over time. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Shayla can be found in the Persian poetry of the 12th century, where it was used as a metaphor for feminine beauty and elegance.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Shayla. One of the earliest was Shayla al-Qurashiyya, a renowned Arabian poet who lived in the 7th century. Her poetic works celebrated the beauty of nature and the human spirit, reflecting the essence of her name.
In the 13th century, Shayla bint al-Husayn was a prominent Islamic scholar and theologian known for her contributions to the study of Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). Her legacy as a learned woman in a male-dominated field was a testament to her name's embodiment of strength and intellect.
Moving forward in time, Shayla Worra (1885-1962) was a pioneering Australian artist whose vibrant paintings captured the essence of the Australian landscape. Her name, though of Arabic origin, found its way into the cultural fabric of a distant land, reflecting the name's global appeal.
In the realm of literature, Shayla Black (born 1971) is a contemporary American author renowned for her best-selling erotic romance novels. Her name has become synonymous with the exploration of love, passion, and desire, adding a modern twist to the name's traditional connotations of beauty.
Lastly, Shayla Beesley (born 1997) is a rising star in the world of music, a British singer-songwriter whose soulful vocals and poetic lyrics have garnered critical acclaim. Her name serves as a testament to the enduring appeal and versatility of the name Shayla across generations and artistic disciplines.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shayla over time
The chart below shows babies named Shayla registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Shayla, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 66 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shayla by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shayla was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2929 | 57 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1053 | 400 | 10 |
| 2000s | #690 | 451 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1511 | 55 | 4 |
Geography
Where Shayla is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Shayla. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Shayla ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #653 in 1997.
Across the UK
Shayla in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#653 in 1997
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Shayla
-
Shayla Connor
association football player
Caymanian footballer
2002-
Related
Names similar to Shayla
- Sophie 103,803
- Sophia 46,936
- Scarlett 34,261
- Sienna 32,418
- Sofia 29,136
- Sarah 27,961
- Shannon 25,510
- Summer 24,167
- Sara 14,205
- Skye 13,654
- Samantha 12,697
- Stephanie 9,309
FAQ
Shayla: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shayla in the UK right now?
In 2024, Shayla was ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Shayla most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 66 babies registered as Shayla in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shayla?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "small and delicate".
How many people are called Shayla in the UK?
A total of 963 babies have been registered as Shayla across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Shayla most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Shayla ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #653 in 1997. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.